For many years, ultrasound images generated during an ultrasound exam were stored on VCR tape and retrieved using conventional VCR controls like fast forward. Because VCR tape provides only serial access to stored images, viewing a specific image in a recorded exam requires a user to scan through all of the prior images in the series, which is a slow and manual process. VCR storage has largely been replaced with digital storage to random access media, such as memory or disk. However, digital storage of ultrasound images is not as fully utilized in existing ultrasound systems as it could be because exams are still presented to users as a serial collection of images, which a user must manually scan through to select a specific image. Selecting an image in this manner is time consuming because:                (1) Images are large files that take a relatively long time to load from storage media;        (2) Images are often compressed, and time is required to decompress the images;        (3) Visual examination of each image takes time; and        (4) The operation of advancing to the next image in a series requires an action by the user.        
Several methods can be used to facilitate the selection of a stored medical image, but each has its own disadvantages. For example, image load time can be improved by adopting faster hardware, but this increases system cost. Also, the time required to advance to a next image in a series can be reduced by displaying multiple images of smaller size; however, the smaller image size can interfere with a sonographer's ability to examine each image.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved method and system for facilitating selection of stored medical images.